- When Kansas achieved statehood in 1861, a great seal was devised that incorporated the motto …
The state of Kansas is named for the Kansa tribe of Native Americans who lived along the Kansas (or Kaw) River. The word Kansa means “wind people.” Because so many wild sunflowers grow in the state, Kansas is nicknamed the Sunflower State. Kansas has been the site of many tornadoes, leading to another nickname—the Cyclone State. The capital is Topeka. GeographyKansas sits at the geographical center of the 48 states that lie between the Canadian border and Mexico. Osborne County in Kansas is the center of North America. All land surveys on the continent are controlled from this point. Kansas has an area of 82,277 square miles (213,098 square kilometers). It is bordered on the north by Nebraska, on the west by Colorado, on the south by Oklahoma, and on the east by Missouri. All of Kansas is made up of generally level plains. The land rises slowly and steadily from 700 feet (210 meters) above sea level in the southeast to more than 4,000 feet (1,200 meters) near the Colorado border in the west. Most of the rivers of Kansas flow from west to east. The main rivers are the Kansas in the north and the Arkansas in the south. Kansas has hot summers and cold winters. Plants and animalsBuffalo grass grows in the west and central areas of the state, while bluegrass is found in the east. Cottonwood trees and wildflowers are found in all parts of the state. In the northeast there are many oak, walnut, maple, cedar, and elm trees. Western Kansas has the largest population of prairie chickens (grouse) in North America; the region also is home to many quail and pheasant. Deer almost became extinct in the state until laws were made to protect them. The buffalo that used to roam the plains are now found only in parks and zoos. People and cultureKansas was originally home to a number of tribes of Plains Indians, including the Osage, Pawnee, Wichita, and Kansa. When the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 opened the territory for white settlement, Native Americans were gradually forced out of the region. Kansas was settled mainly by whites from New England who opposed slavery. The state's greatest growth in population came during the 25 years following the American Civil War (1861–65). At the start of the 21st century Hispanics were the largest minority group in Kansas. They made up about 7 percent of the population. People of African descent made up about 6 percent of the population, and Asians about 2 percent. Almost 25,000 Native Americans lived in the state at that time. CitiesThe largest city in Kansas is Wichita, located on the Arkansas River in the south-central part of the state. An industrial center, it is known as the Air Capital of the World because it produces more aircraft than any other city. Kansas City, second in size, is a livestock and meat-packing center where the Kansas and Missouri rivers meet. Across the state line in Missouri is another city named Kansas City. Topeka is the state capital and the third-largest city. It is located in northeast Kansas on the banks of the Kansas River. RecreationMany state parks and federal reservoirs have been established to provide fishing, swimming, and other outdoor recreation. Some of the leading points of interest are reminders of the state's pioneer days, including forts from the Civil War. EducationThe first territorial legislature of Kansas provided for a system of free public schools in 1855. The main state-supported institutions of higher education are the University of Kansas, at Lawrence, with its Medical Center at Kansas City; Kansas State University, at Manhattan; and Wichita State University, at Wichita. EconomyAgriculture - Grain is stored at a farm in Mingo, in northwestern Kansas.
Agriculture is an important part of Kansas' economy, though jobs in farming dropped significantly in the 1980s and 1990s. The most valuable crop grown in the state is wheat. Other major crops are corn, sorghum, soybeans, and hay. Kansas is also a national leader in the sale of cattle and calves. Pigs, poultry, and sheep are also raised. IndustryKansas farm products have made food processing one of the state's most important manufacturing industries. The state's other leading product is transportation equipment, including aircraft and motor vehicles. Petroleum and natural gas are among Kansas' main mineral resources. Telecommunications and service industries such as health care became increasingly important to the state's economy in the late 20th century. HistoryExploration and settlementNative Americans lived in what is now Kansas for many centuries before Europeans settled on the land. The first European known to visit the area was the Spanish explorer Francisco Coronado in 1541. The French explorer La Salle claimed the region for his country in 1682. During the 18th century French fur traders became wealthy by dealing with the Native Americans. The United States acquired the region from France in the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, and Kansas was thoroughly explored in the following decades. In 1830 it was made part of Indian Territory—a place to which Native Americans who occupied lands wanted by whites were relocated. The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 opened Kansas to white settlement. The law left it up to the settlers to decide whether they wanted Kansas to become a free state or a slave state. Slavery supporters established settlements at Atchison and Leavenworth. Antislavery groups founded Topeka and Lawrence. The two sides soon battled, and the famous abolitionist (opponent of slavery) John Brown and his sons took part in the violence. The fighting earned the territory the name Bleeding Kansas. StatehoodKansas joined the Union in 1861 as a free (antislavery) state. In the years after the American Civil War, Kansas became part of the frontier region called the Old West. Cowboys drove their cattle to such lively (and often lawless) towns as Dodge City and Abilene. After the cattle boom ended in the 1880s, wheat farming became critical to the region. By 1900 most of the farmland had been taken over by settlers. A severe drought created the Dust Bowl of the 1930s; some 80,000 residents of Kansas left the state during that time. In the 1940s the state's growing role in aircraft manufacturing brought many people to Kansas to work in Wichita's aircraft plants. In the late 20th century Kansas experienced a slow but steady growth in population. It also had one of the lowest jobless rates in the nation. Population (2000 census), 2,688,418. |